Limb protector or guard



June 9, 1953 J. M. WOODWARD LIMB PROTECTOR OR GUARD Filed May 22, 1951Patented June 9, 1953 2,640,989 LIME PROTECTOR OR GUARD James MichaelWoodward, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa, assignor toEureka Rubber Co.

(North) Limited, Johannesburg,

Transvaal, Union of South Africa Application May 22, 1951, Serial No.227,598 In the Union of South Africa June 1, 1950 Claims.

This invention relates to leg or arm protectors and particularly thetype which cover the knee or elbow joints.

The normal protectors of this type, as applied for instance to minersleg guards, comprise a strip of material adapted to be strapped onto theleg and shaped to conform to the shape of the shin and knee, oralternatively with the portion covering the knee extended to provide aprotective covering for the lower portion of the thigh. In the formercase the upper portion of the protector moves away from thecorresponding portion of the leg when the latter is bent, thus allowingfor the ingress of stones or other material between the leg and theprotector. In the latter case the protector causes discomfort and lossof freedom of movement due to the fact that it cannot conform to thesurface of the leg in both the straight and bent positions. The actionof the arm protectors is similar and has corresponding disadvantages.

The object of this invention is to provide a limb protector which willcompletely cover the corresponding portions of the limb in all normalpositions of the latter without causing loss of freedom of movement tothe wearer.

According to this invention the protector comprises a pair of guardsadapted to be attached respectively to the upper and lower portions ofthe limb and connected by a resiliently extensible member adapted tocover the portion of the limb between the pair of guards.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is, as applied to miners legprotectors, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. I isa sectional side elevation of the protector in the normal unextendedposition,

Figs. II and III are side elevations of the protector in differentpositions, and

Fig. IV is a front elevation of the protector in the position shown. inFig. I.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided a shin guard I having anupper concave extension 2 conforming to the shape of the knee cap. Thislatter portion is normally subjected to the greatest amount of abrasionand wear and may accordingly be suitably thickened, and if desirableprovided with a relatively soft inner lining so as to minimise anydiscomfort to the wearer.

The concave extension or knee guard 2 is connected by a resilientlyextensible member 3 to an arcuately shaped sheet forming a guard 4 forthe lower portion of the thigh.

In the preferred form of the invention the resiliently extensible member3 is in the form of an arcuately shaped sheet 5 corrugated trans-Versely to the length of the leg protector 6 in the form of accordionpleats l or otherwise puckered so that it may be extended or compressedby an accordion-like action. The depth of the pleats l increases fromthe sides 8 of the protector 6 towards the front or centre 9 where themaximum extension occurs, and thus prevents unnecessary bunching of theextensible'sheet at the sides 8. The pleats 1 are preferably made sothat they have a saw tooth shape in section. The extensible member 3 ispreferably shaped so that it is in its unstressed position midwaybetween the normal terminal positions of the thigh guard 4 relative tothe knee guard 2. In this position, as shown in Fig. I and Fig. IV, thepleats l on the extensible member 3 are neither compressed nor extendedand the peaks [0 and valleys I! of adjacent pleats l are spaced apartthroughout the full length of the same.

When the thigh guard 4 is moved to a position approximately at rightangles to the shin guard I as shown in Fig. II, the pleats l areextended at the front 9 and compressed at the sides 8. This will be thenormal position of the protector 6 when the leg is bent at right angles.The pleats l at the sides 8 should be suflicient in number and/or depthand sufficiently spaced apart to ensure that they do not close to suchan extent as to cause the sides of the member 3 to bulge inwardly oroutwardly to any substantial extent in this position.

When the thigh guard 4 is moved to a position where it is at a slightangle to the shin guard l, the pleats at the front 9 are compressed andextended at the sides 8 as shown in Fig. III. This will be the normalposition of the protector 6 when the leg to which it is attached isstraight.

It will be noted that the valleys l l of the pleats 1 do not extendbelow the curve (indicated by dotted line l2) joining the adjacent endsof the guards I, 4. This is desirable to ensure that the pleats I do notpinch the limb when the former are compressed. The shin and thighguards, I, 4, are provided with suitable straps i3 and clips or bucklesM, to attach them to the leg. Alternatively, due to the fact that member3 as illustrated does not pull on the guards I, 4, to any large extent,the latter may be made resilient,

and merely clipped or sprung into position around the leg.

The protector 6 is preferably made of rubber, plastic or similarmouldable material and may be moulded in a single piece. Alternatively,the shin and knee guards i, 2, may be moulded in one section and theextensible connecting member 3 and thigh guard 4 in another section. Inthe latter case the extensible member 3 has a plain arcuate extensionadapted to fit over the knee guard 2 and be detachably secured thereto.This will allow for replacementoi the upper portion of the protector 6in case of wear.

In use the extensible connecting member 3 will extend to take up anybending of the leg without causing any substantial loss of freedom ofmovement, while at the same time the forirpart of the'r protector 6 issealed in all positions thus preventing the ingress ofstonesorsotliermateri'al. Said connecting member 3 may besufifi'ciently' extensible to allow for the movement of'theaknee. guard2 away from the leg when the latter is bent or alternatively its amountof extension: may

limited so that it will pull the linee guard"2 in towards the knee capwhen the leg is bentbeyond a certain degree. The normal flexure of therubber forming the shin guard I will allow for this movement; but inthis case it" i advisable that theprotectorfi beattachedto't'he limb bystraps.

The invention has been described as appliedto miners leg protectors;but'it will be understood that it is also applicable to other forms of"leg protectors; for instance those used in sports such as cricket andhockey; Itmay also be advantageously applied to arm protectors and wherenecessary it may be duplicated and suitably shaped to enclosethefront'and rear of'the limb and" not merely the front part asillustrated.

What I claimas'new and desire to secure by Letters'Pat'ent is:

I. A liinb protector comprising separate and arcuatel'y'shaped guardsforthe'upper'and lower parts ofa limb, an arcuatelyshaped resilientlyextensible member connectingsaid' guards together andtransverse;corrugati'ons'formed in said extensible member having a depth increasingfrom the'sides of said member to the centre thereof.

2. A limb protector as claimed in claim 1 in which the valleys of thecorrugations in the extensible member do not project below the adjoininginner surfaces of the guards.

3. A limb protector comprising Separate and arcuately shaped guards fortheuppen and lower parts of a. limb, an arcuately shaped resilientlyextensible member connecting said guards together and transverseaccordion pleated corrugations having a saw tooth shape in sectionformed in: said extensible member, said corrugations having a depthincreasing from the side of said"; member" to the centre thereof andextendedorr compressedby an accordion-like action.

4"; A limb protector as claimed in claim 3 in which the extensiblemember is made of resilient matenialrandishaped to be in the unstressedpositionmidway between the normal terminal positions. of the upper limbguard relative to the lower limb guard.

5. A limb protector comprising separate arcuateguards" for the upper andlower parts of a limb and a-resi'liently extensible member of arcuateshape connecting said guards together; said upper limb guard; lowerlimbguard and extensible-member moulded in' one piece from'mouldablematerial and transversecorrugations formed in saidextensiblememberhavingadepth increasing from the sides" of said member tothecentre the-reofi J AMES MICHAEL -WOODWARD3 References Cited: irr thefile.- of: this. patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date. Pierceet a1 Jan. 12, 1909 Pierce .May30, 1916 Barrett\ Apr. 12, 192?? Becket Oct.- 24;.1933

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